McCrory Signs 2 Bills Into Law Related To Newborns

Raleigh, NC -- Two bills dealing with newborn children have been signed into law by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.

The bills are among six the governor signed Wednesday. One new law makes clear authorities can charge someone with murder if the death of a child was caused by injuries suffered in the womb even if the death occurs after delivery. It's called "Lily's Law," named after a child who died a month after she was born in 2008. Her father was convicted of first-degree murder in the death.

Another measure now law would mandate hospitals to administer an inexpensive test that calculates oxygen amounts in the blood of an infant before the child is released from the hospital. The "pulse oximetry" tests can assess newborns for heart defects.